R.I.P.

At church today I found out that my home teacher was in a terrible car accident early Friday morning and passed away. He was one of the nicest people I've met in my ward and I'm really upset to see this happen to him and his family. He left behind his sweet wife and their four children. This happened before the huge snow storm hit, they said the roads were relatively dry. They are guessing the person who hit his truck had dosed off and drifted right into him. Please please be very careful driving this winter season and keep this sweet family in your prayers.



An automobile collision claimed the life of a Richmond man whose pickup was struck head-on by an SUV that drifted out its lane early Friday morning on U.S. Highway 91 north of Smithfield.James Wade Mortensen, 45, died Friday after being hospitalized following the collision near mile post 36, about one mile north of Smithfield.The 22-year-old driver of the SUV suffered significant injuries and was undergoing surgery Friday afternoon, a Utah Highway Patrol official said. The man’s northbound Honda Passport went left of center and collided head-on in the southbound inside lane with Mortensen’s southbound Chevrolet pickup, UHP Sgt. Tony Hutson said.Both drivers were wearing seatbelts when their vehicles collided. Neither automobile had any passengers.

“There was another driver — a friend of Mr. Mortensen — who was driving behind him. He had to swerve to miss the collision and he went off the road to the right,” Hutson added.He suffered only minor injuries.Mortensen and the third driver often carpooled to work but were driving separate vehicles Friday morning, Hutson added.Traffic was routed around the accident from 6:45 to 9 a.m. The southbound lanes were completely closed during the crash investigation.Investigators say weather was not a significant factor in the incident.“This was before the storm started,” said Hutson. “The wind was blowing but the road was essentially dry.”The driver of the SUV told medics he did not remember why his vehicle drifted out of its lane.“He doesn’t remember anything except that he was on his way to work and the moment paramedics were trying to get him out the vehicle,” Hutson said.Officials have ruled out the use of alcohol or other substances.“That leaves us with either drowsy driving or distracted driving. We don’t have too much evidence besides that,” said Hutson. “That’s something for everybody to think about. It seems to be a large contributor to accidents in the state — particularly drowsy driving.”Neighbor Christie Spackman told The Herald Journal on Friday that Wade Mortensen spent much of his time serving others, acting as a father figure for kids in the neighborhood without a dad.“He’s a wonderful man; they’re the greatest neighbors you could ever have,” she said. “His wife, Stephanie, is a very strong person and her concern right now is taking care of her four children.”Mortensen lived in Richmond with his wife and four kids.He worked as a service technician for YESCO Electronics in Logan, traveling around the country as a consultant for large LED message panels often seen in sports stadiums and arenas.Co-worker Rod Wardle says Mortensen was an extremely confidant and reliable employee — one of the first the company hired at its new location.“He was a very first-class individual and he’ll certainly be missed,” he said.